Meanings
nounplayground (plural playgrounds)
plural playgrounds
- outdoorsA large open space for children to play in, usually having dedicated play equipment (such as swings and slides).First known use 1780
The kids have to go to the playground during recess, no matter the weather.
2 more examples
The local council have set up a new playground, equipped with slides, swings, and a climbing wall.
Where else in the world can you pre-order sushi and fondue on some of the trains, travel in family carriages equipped with mini-playgrounds, or use a request stop button at some small stations? Where else can you hear the announcement: "The train at Platform 4 is ten minutes late due to an incident in another country," as I did once at the Swiss station of Spiez?
2025 October 15, Vitali Vitaliev, “The recipe for Swiss bliss”, in RAIL, number 1046, page 68 - figurativelyAny physical or metaphysical space in which a person or organization has free rein to do as they please.
The exclusive tropical island was a millionaire's playground.
1 more example
Kjelsås (six miles) marks the end of the suburbs, and the line immediately plunges into Nordmarka. This vast untamed area of forest and mountain (much of it over 2,000 ft. above sea level), interspersed with innumerable lakes, large and small, is known as Oslo's playground.
1955 July, M. D. Greville, “To the Valdres by Rail”, in Railway Magazine, pages 457-458 - computingA sandbox for testing calls to an application programming interface.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounan area where many people go for recreation, holidays or other purposes
Similar
resort areavacation spot
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From play + ground. Compare Middle English playstede (“playground”) from Old English pleġstede.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic مَلْعَب أَطْفَال
- مَلْعَب أَطْفَال (malʕab ʔaṭfāl)open space for children to play in
Basque jolastoki, jolas parkea
- jolastokiopen space for children to play in
- jolas parkeaopen space for children to play in
- haur parkeaopen space for children to play in
Bulgarian де́тска площа́дка, игри́ще
- де́тска площа́дка (détska ploštádka)open space for children to play in
- игри́ще (igríšte)open space for children to play in
- двор (dvor)open space for children to play in
- игри́ще (igríšte)space to do what one pleases
Catalan pati d'escola, pati escolar
- pati d'escolaopen space for children to play in
- pati escolaropen space for children to play in
- pati d'esbarjoopen space for children to play in
- patiopen space for children to play in
- parc infantilopen space for children to play in
- àrea de joc infantilopen space for children to play in
Chinese Mandarin 操場 /操场, 遊樂園 /游乐园
- 操場 /操场 (cāochǎng)open space for children to play in
- 遊樂園 /游乐园 (yóulèyuán)open space for children to play in
- 遊樂場 /游乐场 (yóulèchǎng)open space for children to play in
- 游樂園 /游乐园 (yóulèyuán)space to do what one pleases
- 遊樂場 /游乐场 (yóulèchǎng)space to do what one pleases
Czech hřiště, dětské hřiště
- hřištěopen space for children to play in
- dětské hřištěopen space for children to play in
Danish legeplads, åbent område
- legepladsopen space for children to play in
- åbent områdeopen space for children to play in
- sandkasseopen space for children to play in
- tumlepladsspace to do what one pleases
- sandkassespace to do what one pleases
Dutch speelplein, speelterrein
- speelpleinopen space for children to play in
- speelterreinopen space for children to play in
- speeltuinopen space for children to play in
- speelplaatsopen space for children to play in
- speelterreinspace to do what one pleases
Esperanto ludejo
- ludejoopen space for children to play in
Estonian mänguväljak
- mänguväljakopen space for children to play in
Finnish leikkikenttä, leikkipuisto
- leikkikenttäopen space for children to play in
- leikkipuistoopen space for children to play in
- leikkipaikkaopen space for children to play in
- leikkikenttäspace to do what one pleases
- temmellyskenttäspace to do what one pleases
French terrain de jeu, aire de jeux
- terrain de jeuopen space for children to play in
- aire de jeuxopen space for children to play in
- plaine de jeuxopen space for children to play in
- cour de récréationopen space for children to play in
- cour de récréopen space for children to play in
German Spielwiese, Spielplatz
- Spielwieseopen space for children to play in
- Spielplatzopen space for children to play in
- Kinderspielplatzopen space for children to play in
- Schulhofopen space for children to play in
- Spielwiesespace to do what one pleases
Greek παιχνιδότοπος, παιδική χαρά
- παιχνιδότοπος (paichnidótopos)open space for children to play in
- παιδική χαρά (paidikí chará)open space for children to play in
- παιδότοπος (paidótopos)open space for children to play in
- αυλή (avlí)open space for children to play in
- παιδική χαρά (paidikí chará)space to do what one pleases
Hebrew גן שעשועים, מגרש משחקים
- גן שעשועים (gan sha'ashuím)open space for children to play in
- מגרש משחקים (migrásh misẖaqím)open space for children to play in
Hindi खेल का मैदान, क्रीड़ास्थल
- खेल का मैदान (khel kā maidān)open space for children to play in
- क्रीड़ास्थल (krīṛāsthal)open space for children to play in
Hungarian játszótér
- játszótéropen space for children to play in
Icelandic leikvöllur, róló
- leikvölluropen space for children to play in
- rólóopen space for children to play in
- róluvölluropen space for children to play in
Italian parco giochi, parco gioco
- parco giochiopen space for children to play in
- parco giocoopen space for children to play in
- parcoopen space for children to play in
Japanese 遊び場
- 遊び場 (asobiba)open space for children to play in
Korean 놀이터
- 놀이터 (noriteo)open space for children to play in
Latvian rotaļlaukums
- rotaļlaukumsopen space for children to play in
Lithuanian žaidimų aikštelė
- žaidimų aikštelėopen space for children to play in
Malay taman permainan
- taman permainanopen space for children to play in
Māori papa tākaro
- papa tākaroopen space for children to play in
Norwegian Bokmål lekeplass, leikeplass
- lekeplassopen space for children to play in
- leikeplassopen space for children to play in
- skolegårdopen space for children to play in
Polish plac zabaw
- plac zabawopen space for children to play in
Portuguese parque infantil, parquinho
- parque infantilopen space for children to play in
- parquinhoopen space for children to play in
- playgroundopen space for children to play in
- recreioopen space for children to play in
- playgroundspace to do what one pleases
Romanian teren de joc, loc de joacă
- teren de jocopen space for children to play in
- loc de joacăopen space for children to play in
Russian де́тская площа́дка, детплоща́дка
- де́тская площа́дка (détskaja ploščádka)open space for children to play in
- детплоща́дка (detploščádka)open space for children to play in
- игровая площадка (igrovaja ploščadka)open space for children to play in
- шко́льный двор (škólʹnyj dvor)open space for children to play in
- игрова́я площа́дка (igrovája ploščádka)space to do what one pleases
Slovak ihrisko, detské ihrisko
- ihriskoopen space for children to play in
- detské ihriskoopen space for children to play in
Spanish espacio infantil, patio lúdico/recreativo (infantil)
- espacio infantilopen space for children to play in
- patio lúdico/recreativo (infantil)open space for children to play in
- zona de juego/recreación/recreo (infantil)open space for children to play in
- área de juegos (el)open space for children to play in
- campo librespace to do what one pleases
Swahili kiwanja
- kiwanjaopen space for children to play in
Swedish lekplats, lekpark
- lekplatsopen space for children to play in
- lekparkopen space for children to play in
- skolgårdopen space for children to play in
- lekplatsspace to do what one pleases
Tagalog palaruan
- palaruanopen space for children to play in
Thai สนามเด็กเล่น
- สนามเด็กเล่น (sà-nǎam-dèk-lên)open space for children to play in
Turkish oyun alanı, oyun sahası
- oyun alanıopen space for children to play in
- oyun sahasıopen space for children to play in
- okul bahçesiopen space for children to play in
- deneme tahtasıspace to do what one pleases
Ukrainian дитя́чий майда́нчик, дитмайда́нчик
- дитя́чий майда́нчик (dytjáčyj majdánčyk)open space for children to play in
- дитмайда́нчик (dytmajdánčyk)open space for children to play in
Urdu بازی گاہ, تَفْرِیح گاہ
- بازی گاہ (bāzī gāh)open space for children to play in
- تَفْرِیح گاہ (tafrīh gāh)open space for children to play in
- کھیل کا مَیدان (khel kā maidān)open space for children to play in
- بازیچہ (bāzīca)open space for children to play in
- بازیچہ اطفال (bāzīca-e-atfāl)open space for children to play in
- بازیچہ طفلاں (bāzīca-e-tiflā̃)open space for children to play in
Vietnamese sân chơi
- sân chơiopen space for children to play in
Welsh buarth chwarae
- buarth chwaraeopen space for children to play in
Cite this entry
APA
playground. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/playground
MLA
“playground.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/playground. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “playground,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/playground.
Source: playground on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.